The Ignite event is incredible.

For those of you that might not know what it is, it’s an event that takes place in over 100 cities.

Speakers share their stories using slideshows of 20 slides that auto-advance every 15 seconds, for a total of 5 minutes.

I really like that format, because it forces you to be creative about how to best get your point across.

Their slogan is “enlighten us, but do it quickly”.

I write a lot about TED talks, but I feel like I’m not being fair by not ever discussing these videos.

The videos that I’m about to share are Ignite Talks that are powerful, incredible, and deserve the same respect as all those TED talks I often reference.

For context, check out this post I did recently about 10 Incredible Ted Talks.

Here are some tedtalks about working smarter.

1. Hacking The Technical Interview

The title is pretty self-descriptive, but if you’re about to attend a technical interview, watch this video.

What he says is really important, and he does a great job of relating personal, human skills, to developer terms.

The truth is, a lot of the skills that he suggests could be used for any interview, not only technical interviews.

2. The Psychology Of Incompetence

This talk is actually pretty funny, and he asks the question “is the software industry incompetent?”

He talks about a lot of very interesting facts about leadership, and how people work.

For example, do you know that 30% of Fortune 500 CEO’s are over 6’2?

I often talk about getting out of people’s way and giving them autonomy, but it might not work in the software industry.

He also talks about a concept called rumor psychology, which has very negative effects in the workplace.

We’ve all dealt with incompetent managers before, so this one is definitely worth watching.

3. The Pomodoro Technique

I’ve written a lot about the pomodoro technique and how it’s used to have employees that are more engaged, by working in short sprints instead of long spans of time.

I’ve tried explaining the value of this technique a few times, but I think the speaker does a great job of breaking it down. It also ensures that you’re taking enough breaks in your day, which is so important.

You don’t necessarily have to finish the task you’re doing, just make significant progress. It’s the opposite of multi-tasking.

4. Stoicism As A Productivity System

This talk is given by Tim Ferriss, author of the 4 hour workweek.

Anything by Tim Ferriss is worth watching, but this one is great, especially since I just finished learning about stoicism.

What Stoicism is a school of philosophy that essentially says to stay calm during adversity.

Tim asks an important question: Is defining your fears more important than defining your goals?

5. Let Them Eat Cake

This talk is great, and talks about leadership lessons learned from some of the worst leaders in history.

Learn what not to do as a leader by watching this. It’s important to give workers autonomy, trust them, and respect them.

It’s also important to not only accept, but embrace change, and adapt as you go. I really enjoyed this talk because the speaker does a great job of showing what we can learn from others, and shares some important lessons.

6. Why 9 to 5 Is Inhumane

I loved this talk, and I’ve always hated the 9 to 5. The speaker tries to break down the science behind why working a 9 to 5 doesn’t make sense, and we can’t be as creative as we need to be in this type of setting.
The video quality on this one isn’t amazing, but it’s still good content.

7. Lifehack Leadership

I liked this video simply because the speaker was british, and we all love that british accent.

But seriously, the speaker does a great job at explaining what makes a great leader. It all starts with you.

She gives 10 lifehacks on how to be an amazing leader. It’s a funny, fast-paced lesson for every leader out there.

8. Advice From The Greatest Entrepreneurs

This talk is so inspirational, because the speaker aggregates the best feedback from amazing entrepreneurs like Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, and others.

He goes through different quotes one by one, and explains what they mean. He does a great job of breaking down why these quotes are actually good advice.

9. Landing A Job In Tough Times

In these tough economic times, it;s harder than ever to find a job. Finding a job used to be relatively easy, but times have changed.

No longer can we go to school, and then get a job for life. Technology and Globalization have affected the way finding a job works.

The recession of 2008 changed things forever, and freelancing is becoming more and more popular.

10. Flow, Not The Fire Host Kind

I’ve written before about Flow, and how it relates to productivity and positive psychology, but this was a great talk, done in 5 minutes. The speaker does an amazing job of simplifying what Flow actually is.

It’s about finding that perfect balance between ease and challenge, and finding that moment or that feeling when time seems like it doesn’t exist.

I’ve probably missed so many good Ignite videos, because I’m really just getting started on this website, so I apologize in advance if you think I missed some good ones.

What Did You Think Of The Ignite Talks Above?

I think these videos are great, and I really like the structure, and how loose and relaxed it seems to be. Any videos you think I should have mentioned? Let me know in the comments!